Washing-machine dolly



April 2, 1929. B. ESIPE 1,707,644

WASHING MACHINE DOLLY Filed Sept. 13, 1926 and Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES BRUCE E. SIPE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

WASHING-MACHINE DOLLY.

Application filed September 13, 1926. Serial No. 135,154.

This invention relates to washing machine dollies and has for its object to produce a floatable metallic dolly which is practically indestructible and will therefore give indelinite service. Most floatable metal (lollies with which I am familiar are objectionable due to the fact that they are formed in the shape of hollow floats which when punctured fill with water and are therefore no longer useful. Dollies of this character are attacked by the alkali used in many laundry soaps and are corroded in a relatively short time to such an extent as to be easily punctured.

My prime object therefore is to produce a floatable metal dolly which will sustain itself on the surface of the water and shall be unpuncturable, and which moreover is of such shape that all water shall quickly and readily drain from its entire surface and have no opportunity to attack the metal of the dolly.

A further object is to produce a dolly of the character outlined of strong, durable. efficient and inexpensive construction; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side View of a dolly embodying the invention, its drive stem and gear wheel.

Figure 2 is a section on the line IIII of Figure 1 with the gear wheel omitted.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the dolly.

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the dolly.

Inthe said drawing, where. like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, 1 indicates a relatively oval-shaped float formed at. its lower end with a water drain opening 2 as will hereinafter appear, and having a drive stem receiving opening 3, preferably of rectangular form, at. its upper end. Depending within the body 1 is a rectangular tube l. of somewhat greater dimensions than the opening 3 said tube terminates a slight distance above the lower end of the body 1. It will be evident that by so constructing the dolly inner and outer shells are provided, the latter being open at its bottom to the atmosphere, and the former being open at both bottom and top.

Slidingly projecting through the opening 3 is a rectangular drive stem 5, said stem being formed on its lower end with an enlarged head 6 slidingly fitted in the tube 4,

said head being larger than the opening 3 and therefore preventing the dolly from sliding off the lower end of the stem as the water level in the washing machine falls and said head also assists the stem 5 in the oscillation of the dolly. The upper end of the stem 5 projects through the top of the washer 6 and its extremity is fitted with a drive gear wheel 7 in any suitable manner.

The body 1 is externally formed with a circumferential flange 8 at substantially the water line of the float, and depending from said flange are a plurality of impellers 9 for catching and thoroughly agitating the water and clothes being washed. \Vith reference to the impellers 9 itis to be noted that they preferably terminate above the plane of the lower end of the body 1 as it has been found that this is the preferable construction as the body 1 is thus permitted to rest lightly on the clothes and prevent them from becoming entangled around the projecting impellers 9.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the drawing that when the dolly is placed in the water, air will be entrapped within the body 1 and around the tube 4 in sufficient quantity to maintain the dolly floating on the surface of the washing liquid. the dolly being preferably so proportioned that it shall float with the flange 8 substantially flush with the surface of the liquid. lVhen the dolly is withdrawn it will be evident that all water will immediately and quickly drain through the bottom opening 2 and that any water which may have splashed to the top of the. dolly quic ly drains down inside or through the tube 4, it being understood that the stem 5 and the head 6 loosely fit in opening 3 and tube 4 respectively.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced a dolly of the character outlined which possesses all of the features of advantage enuuuirat ed as desirable, and while I have described and claimed the preferred embodiment of the same, 1 reserve the right to make all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the ap pended claims.

I claim:

1. A floatable washing machine dolly comprising a hollow body having an opening at its lower end. and a partition within said body and being adapted to entrap air therein.

2. A floatable washing machine dolly comprising a hollow body having an opening at;

till

ltlt) Ill) its lower end, a dolly stem, and a partition in said body and adapted to entrap air therein and to form a guide for said dolly stem.

3. A fioatable washing machine dolly comprising a hollow body having openings at its lower and upper ends, and a partition surrounding the upper opening and depending within the body to entrap air therein.

4. A washing machine dolly comprising a hollow body having openings at its lower and upper ends, a dolly stem slidingly projecting through said upper opening into the body and having a head at its lower end, and a partition depending within said body to entrap air therein, said partition slidingly receiving the head of said dolly stem.

5. A washing machine dolly comprising a hollow outer shell having openings at its upper and lower ends, an inner shell surrounding said upper opening and depending within the outer shell, a dolly stem slidingly projecting through the upper opening to permit the dolly to slide during operation, and means on said stem to prevent its withdrawal in one direction from the dolly.

6. A fioatable dolly comprising an outer shell having openings at its upper and lower ends, and an inner shell surrounding said upper opening and depending within the outer shell and spaced therefrom, the space between said outer and inner shells being open to the atmosphere.

7. In combination with a Washing machine, a dolly, means for oscillatably supporting said dolly within the machine, said means being constructed and arranged to permit free vertical movement of said dolly in the machine and said dolly being open at its lower end to the atmosphere and composed of material of greater specific gravity than the liquid within the machine, and rendered buoyant by the structural characteristics of the dolly.

In witness whereof I hereunto alfix my signature.

BRUCE E. SIPE, 

